Google’s Earnings, Adsense and Credit Cards

Google’s AdSense program generates about 30% of the company’s total revenues and has been growing consistently over the last few years, despite all their search algorithm change and increase competition. So clearly this is a big and growing money earner for them. However one thing I have noticed is that …

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Dow falls below 5000!

Crazy headline or spot on prediction? Just trying to grab attention you may be thinking. However based on the recent rapid moves in the market, mainly to the downside, this headline may come to pass sooner than you think. I have a reasonable investment and retirement portfolio, so I hope …

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$1000 in 1 day on Nasdaq (QQQQ) call options

Tony Parker – a regular contributor and experienced investor – is calling the bottom of the market. To quote what Tony said late last week: “Either today (Friday) or Monday will signify the bottom for the stock market…time to buy, buy, buy…and make some money in the process”. He has …

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Thinking of Temporarily Reducing my 401k Contributions

I am going to take a contrary view of retirement savings and say that in current market conditions you should think about reducing your 401(k) contributions to only invest the amount that is needed to get your company match. I am normally a strong proponent of company sponsored 401(k)and traditional …

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Financial Crisis: Mark to Market Accounting Demystified

Of late there has been a lot of negative press around the accounting requirements for companies and the methods by which they have to value their assets. Some critics and company executives have even attributed the accounting requirements, and specifically the Mark to Market valuation method, as a major cause …

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American Employees: Cheap to Fire

Interesting graphic from the Economist on what it costs to sack long-term employees. As shown, costs vary enormously across the world. America and New Zealand are among the most company-friendly countries, requiring no penalties or payouts to fire a full-time employee of 20 years or more. By contrast, a business …

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Tax-Exempt Money Market Funds are Rocking

Why are tax free money market funds providing relatively decent yields compared to leaving your money in a regular bank account? Pamela Wisehaupt Tynan, who oversees Vanguard’s municipal money market funds says “These unusually high yields are simply a function of how the money market arena is reacting to events …

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America’s Growing National Debt Passes $30 Trillion in 2022

Well the time is here now to get an update on our national funds and the picture isn’t pretty. All the federal bailouts, treasury cash injections and foreign infusion of funds into our institutions/stocks has meant that America’s national debt recently passed $30,000,000,000,000. This is equivalent to 130% of America’s …

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Alternatives to the $700 billion financial bailout

Despite all the politicking this week, it looks like a bipartisan deal on the $700 billion bailout package (now titled the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008) has been reached. In the revised approach the government immediately provides $250 billion to start buying the MBS and CDO clogging up the …

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